Reader MF takes the

Reader MF takes the same view as many TPM readers do (albeit more politely than some):

Sorry but with your and Atrios' blog battle over Joe Momentum the real issue is being missed.

This is now an issue about the basis of the Democratic Party - if Lieberman gets re-elected as a Independent after loosing a Democratic Party primary and the Dems in the Senate welcome him back into their caucus like nothing has happened our Party is dead. The Dems in Washington will have said that the wishes of the States don't matter and will be ignored when its handy and that there are 2 Parties, the one that lives in the States and the one in Washington and on this and all things Washington rules. Sometimes there are things that are more important than a majority. It doesn't matter if he's needed to get the 51 votes or not Lieberman has to be forced out of the Party.

If there is no Party discipline there is no Party - if there aren't rules and regulations there isn't a Party.

This whole mess is more important than Lieberman, the Dems in the Senate, and the nutmeg State.

Putting self above party at the expense of party should have consequences. But at what cost? I part ways with those wanting to enforce party discipline even as they admit it might cost Dems a Senate majority. As I have said before, a Democratic Senate with Lieberman in it far surpasses a GOP Senate without Lieberman.